Not Katie Ledecky, but 30YO Who Broke Michael Phelps’ Historic Record, Replicates His Iconic Move to Hype Athens at Swimming World Cup 2023

American swimming sensation Michael Phelps perfected the “no breather” technique to excel in the 50-meter butterfly. This technique requires the swimmer to go full pace for the length of the pool with little to no emphasis on taking a breath. It is an extremely challenging technique to master but two swimmers have come close to Phelps’ level of mastery at the Swimming World Cup 2023.

Michael Andrew executed the move yesterday for the 100-meter butterfly heats and finals at the Athens leg of the World Cup. Among the American women, only Katie Ledecky is able to pull off this impressive feat. However, a Swedish swimming icon who had once bested Michael Phelps reprised his impressive butterfly technique at the Swimming World Cup 2023 and shocked the world.

Sarah Sjoestroem goes no breather at Swimming World Cup 2023

Sarah Sjoestroem is known as the dashing queen of sprint swimming for a reason. Today, she showcased her swimming prowess in the 50-meter butterfly heat in the Athens meet. World Aquatics covered her breathtaking run on their official YouTube channel, showing the swimmer competing against Australian rival Alexandria Perkins. In a neck-and-neck battle for the win, Sjostrom pulled out her secret technique to take the lead. In this technique, the Swedish powerhouse maintains a steady rhythm after propelling herself with a dolphin kick. During the entire race, Sarah Sjoestroem keeps her head lowered into the water, taking very few breaths in between. She makes sure that whenever her head is raised above the water, her chin remains submerged to reduce the drag.

The 30-year-old swimmer ended the heat 8 of the 50-meter butterfly in 25.50 seconds. She earned 879 Aqua Points for her impressive speed in the pool. Her rival earned 802 points with a total time of 26.29. She qualified for the finals, with Zhang Yufei taking the top spot in the leaderboard with 25.47 seconds. This impressive performance has once again reminded the world of Sarah Sjoestroem’s potential that outdid the Swimming GOAT.

Sarah Sjoestroem rewrites Michael Phelps’ record

Sarah Sjoestroem raised a hurricane in the pool in Budapest and won her 21st World title at the 2023 World Championships. She was tied to Michael Phelps with 20 world championships won each. With her 21st individual medal-earning performance, she fell another record of the Baltimore Bullet. She won the 50-meter freestyle, which historically was the event used by Phelps to perfect his no-breather technique. In an interview, the American legend had said, “It’s weird for me not to breathe…I’m used to breathing every single stroke”.

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Now, Sarah Sjoestroem has mastered the technique and will use it once again in the final. If she is able to execute it properly, she has a high chance of defeating her rivals, including Zhang Yufei. With less than nine months left for the 2024 Paris Olympics, she has become a force to be reckoned with.

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